"If I can change my customer's day, for the better, then I have done my job in delivering exceptional customer service."

"Kate Zabriskie, the author of Business Training Works, once said, "The customers' perception is your reality." To me, this means that if my clients think that my team does not care about them, they likely do not. Good customer service starts with proper training and setting high standards for my team from the get-go."

"Repeat business and referrals are what I am after when it comes to the satisfaction of my clients. When it is time to close out an account, I openly ask them what I could do better next time. This added step helps me to improve my service. Good customer service starts with the ability to take and implement feedback."

"Ensuring that my customers are satisfied with their experience every time. That is what good customer service means to me. This level of service may mean bending the rules a touch to deliver what they need. For instance, I will extend the return policy by a reasonable amount if it means a happy customer who will give a solid review."

"I define good customer service by not allowing any 'traffic jams' in the sales cycle. The moment a client feels there is a hiccup, the moment the sales process gets railroaded. Excellent customer service includes seeing potential pain points before they even happen."

"I look at good customer service as embracing each customer as a friendly member of your tribe. If they are loyal to your company or your brand and they are expressing it by patronizing your store, then they are one of you, and they belong. So treat them like family or a trusted neighbor. Go the extra mile for them without hesitation. Be generous with your kindness. If you invited over a guest, then you'd clean your house beforehand. Do the same with your store. Show pride in the fact that they've come to visit. Make them feel valued and welcome from beginning to end. Show them that you care."

Most companies go the extra mile to value their customers for being loyal to their brand or offerings. Like Jeff Bezos says, "Even when they don't yet know it, customers want something better, and your desire to delight customers will drive you to invent on their behalf." Excellent customer service goes beyond doing precisely as you expected, and it's more than having a smile on your face when the customer is looking. Whether through your greeting over the phone, or the second they step into a brick-and-mortar store, it is ensuring that your first impression with each experience is a positive one.

When someone sets foot in a store, and there is dirt or trash in the landing area, or the displays are empty, or shelves aren't appropriately stocked, or the staff isn't warm or welcoming or effective at solving their problems, the customer will have a negative association. Or, if the tone of the person on the other end of the phone feels disinterested in their interaction, or disingenuous, they'll immediately be on the defensive. Customer service has to be warm and positive at every touchpoint, all the way to the grand finale. The last interaction or impression will be the one they remember most, and this quality extends to when they're unboxing their purchase or service at home.

This requires excellent interpersonal skills, which translates to strong customer service skills. This means actively seeking out every opportunity to deliver higher than the standard. Every customer wanst to feel listened to and valued for their brand loyalty. Their trust is earned, yet is fragile, and must be tended to and maintained through constant appreciation, down to every detail.